Human Rights Watch: Colombia Presents Worst Problem in Latin America

Human Rights Watch says the war-torn South American nation of Colombia presents the worst human rights problems and humanitarian situation in the region.

Wednesday's report says Colombia's non-military armed groups, both rebels and government-aligned paramilitary forces, are responsible for massacres, kidnappings, torture and extortion. It says Colombia has one of the largest populations of displaced persons in the world.

The report labels Cuba as an anomaly in Latin America, with an undemocratic government that represses nearly all forms of political dissent. It says Cubans are systematically denied basic rights such as freedom of assembly, privacy and due process of law.

In Haiti, the report says mob violence and summary executions have contributed to a situation a United Nations official has called "catastrophic." And in Venezuela, the report blames President Hugo Chavez and his supporters for undermining the country's court system and restricting freedom of the press.